learn more say ‘good riddance’ - pennsylvania state university · 2014. 10. 2. · say ‘good...
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Learn about environmental issues, their effect on your community and actions for your involvement.
Reconnect with your environmentSP19371
Do ads influence your PPCP buying habits? While articles are intendedto inform you using facts, advertisements are designed to influence you tobuy something even if it means distorting the truth. Collect PPCP ads andlist them according to their appeal. Do any of them imply: “Everybody elseis doing it,” or “users of this product are just like you”? Do the ads distortor omit facts, or use testimonials or endorsements by famous people or arespected person like a doctor? Design an ad to inform and influencepeople to only buy and use PPCPs that don’t harm youor the environment. Use your ad in a campaign toeducate others in your school or community. Sendyour ads for possible publication in “your space” toAnna McCartney, PA Sea Grant, 301 Peninsula Dr.,Suite 3, Erie, PA 16505.
What: Cascade Creek Restoration Walking WorksopWhere: Property located immediately adjacent to the BayfrontParkway at the entrance to the Niagara Pier condominiums andSunrise Senior LivingWhen: Wednesday at 6 p.m.Sponsored by: the Erie-Western Pennsylvania Port Authority andPA Sea Grant
What: Mission of Care for Northwest Pennsylvania’s Forestlandpresentation by John Noel Bartlett, development director of theFoundation for Sustainable ForestsWhen: Tuesday, Oct. 9, at 7 p.m.Where: Episcopal Cathedral of St. Paul, 134 W. 7th St., ErieSponsored by: Episcopal Cathedral of St. Paul
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Aquatic organisms, unborn babies and young children are mostvulnerable to reproductive and developmental harm from chemicals inPPCPs. Triclosan, a pesticide in antibacterial soaps; manufacturedfragrances; and chemicals in pharmaceuticals can affect fetal growthand development because they interfere with natural hormones.Observed feminization of aquatic animals has raised concerns aboutthese chemicals in rivers, lakes and streams. And more problems aresurfacing. A UC Davis research team which has previously linkedtriclosan to disruption of reproductive hormone activity and of cellsignaling in the brain found that triclosan also hinders musclecontractions at a cellular level, slows swimming in fish and reducesmuscular strength in mice.
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Cindy Murray, left, and Pat Lupo, O.S.B., center are recognized byState Rep. John Hornaman for their work with JrPLEWA students.
Northwestern High Schoolteacher Cindy Murray is one ofthreeteacherstoreceiveaGreatLakes Sea Grant Network Stew-ardshipAwardforherworkwithhigh school students to tacklethe problems of pharmaceuti-cals and personal care products(PPCPs).
She helped lead the JuniorPennsylvania Lake Erie Water-shed Association (JrPLEWA),a group of students from ninehigh schools, including North-western, in their goal to educatethe community and lawmakersabout the issue.
After doing research to edu-cate themselves about PPCPsand their effect on the environ-ment, they took action. They sur-veyed the public, interviewedpharmacists,andeducatedotherstudents and the public about
PPCPs. The group conductedmany presentations at schoolsand conferences, including theGreat Lakes Northwest Caucus,about the use and disposal ofPPCPs.
They also met with local staterepresentatives and even wentto Harrisburg and presentedtheir recommendations to otherelectedofficialsfromaroundthestate. They urged lawmakers tointroduce legislation to provideconsumerswithasafewaytogetrid of unused pharmaceuticals.
Pennsylvania House Bill 2466wasintroducedinJuly.Ifpassed,the bill would require pharma-ceutical manufactures to fundmedicine take-back programsin Pennsylvania.
A N N A M C C A R T N E Y, acommunications and educationspecialist for Pennsylvania SeaGrant, can be reached by e-mail [email protected].
Teacher, students leadPPCP education effortBy ANNA McCARTNEYContributing writer
ANNA McCARTNEY/Contributed photo
PA Sea Grant and LECOM School of Pharmacy have been staffing collection events like this one held in April in cooperation with DEA and UPMCHamot. The partners will participate in another DEA National Prescription Drug Take Back collection event in the lobby of the Women’s Hospitalthis Friday, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. See breakout for Saturday collection sites from 9 a.m. to noon.
Knowledgegivesustheoppor-tunity to fix problems.
To be sure, educating peopleabout the health and environ-mental problems caused bychemicals in pharmaceuticalsand personal care products (PP-CPs) has not solved them. Andwith worldwide PPCP use in-creasingdramaticallyeachyear,these problems are worsening.
ACS Chemical Neurosciencereported 4.02 billion prescrip-tions, at a cost of $319.9 billion,in the U.S. alone in 2011. Thisdoesn’t include over-the-counterdrugs.
According to the Environ-mental Working Group (EWG),a Washington, D.C.-based advo-cacy organization, the averageAmerican uses approximately10-15 personal care productsdaily (many which are appliedmore than once), many withharmful chemicals.
Howeversince2010,whenSeaGrantprogramsinPennsylvania,Indiana, Illinois, New York andOhio began work on their GreatLakes Restoration EPA educa-tion grant to address growingPPCPproblems,therehavebeennotable success stories.
The group has exceeded itsgoalofreachingonemillionpeo-ple and properly disposing onemillion pills. As of June 2012, thegroups have reached 1,045,470people and collected 2,265,644pills.(Safedisposalkeepsunusedmedsoutoftheenvironmentandalsopreventsdrugabuseandun-intentional poisoning.)
Educated citizens are usingpurchasingpower,changingtheirhabitsandproperlydisposingofunusedmedsatcollectioneventsandtake-backsites.Byalsoshar-ingtheirknowledgewithfriends,families, lawmakers and theircommunities, they are influenc-ing positive change.
Teacher Lisa Raddock’s stu-dents at Fort LeBoeuf HighSchool also shared their con-cerns with companies thatmake personal care products.It may seem fruitless, but whenenough consumers act in unisonanddon’tgiveup, theycanaffectchange.Whileit tookthreeyearsofpressurefromalargecoalition
of consumer and environmentalgroups, Johnson and Johnsonhas agreed to leave out harmful
chemicals from their productssold in the U.S. The same prod-ucts without harmful ingredi-ents have been available in E.U.countriesbecausethechemicalsof concern are banned there.
StudentsinJrPLEWA,ayouthgroup with students from nineErie schools, also made recom-mendationstolawmakerslocallyand in Harrisburg urging themtointroducelegislationforaper-manent disposal program.
While Sea Grant is still work-ingtodevelopamodeltake-backprogram, consumers now havemore collection events and fournew permanent return unitswhereErieCountyresidentscansafelydropoffunused,unwantedor expired meds anonymously,with no required paperwork.
A bill to address the hurdleof sustainable funding for take-backprogramswasintroducedin
Pennsylvania. Passage of HouseBill 2466 would make pharma-ceutical manufacturers sellingtheirproductinthestaterespon-siblefordisposalofunuseddugs,starting Jan 1, 2014. Check withyour state representative to askabout this bill.
What else can you do?
Visit EWG’s Skin Deep Cos-metics Database to check yourpersonalcareproducts—andtofind safer brands. To get rid ofyourunwantedmeds,attendoneofthecollectioneventsorstopatoneofthepermanentdropboxeslisted.
A N N A M C C A R T N E Y, acommunications and educationspecialist for Pennsylvania SeaGrant, can be reached by e-mail [email protected].
Say ‘Good riddance’Progress made in eliminating chemicals from the environmentBy ANNA McCARTNEYContributing writer
The Drug EnforcementAdministration (DEA) will host itsfifth nationwide medicine take-back collection since the fall of2010. Drop off your unused,unwanted or expired meds at thefollowing locations:Friday from 1 to 5 p.m.:▀UPMC Hamot Women’s
Hospital lobbySaturday from 9 a.m. to noon:▀Lawrence Park, State Police
Barracks▀Harborcreek Township Building▀Millcreek Township Municipal
Building▀Highmark Direct Store on
Peach Street▀Edinboro Police Department
Get rid of druGS
ANNA McCARNTEY/Contributed photo
Since fall of 2010 more than 1.5 million pounds (774 tons)of medication were collected nationwide in just 16 hours.
ANNA McCARNTEY/Contributed photo
No more tears or harmful chemicals includingformaldehyde, phthalates, dioxane and triclosan inJohnson and Johnson products. With pressure fromconsumers, the company will phase out harmful chemicalsfrom baby products in the U.S. by the end of 2013 and adultproducts by the end of 2015.
ERIE COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
Four secure, permanent med return units atthe Erie County Courthouse, Girard BoroughPolice, Edinboro Police or the Corry PoliceDepartment are available thanks to SafeCommunities Erie and the Erie CountyDepartment of Health.
Check out these websitesto learn more:
www.seagrant.psu.edu/publications/greatlakes.htm
www.ewg.org/skindeepwww.unwantedmeds.org
Tuesday, September 25, 2012 | Erie Times-News | GoErie.com | 11D